Bangalore: There are enthusiasts and sceptics in every team and their voices have to be heard at every meeting called by the team leader. Sometimes, the sceptics come out with genuine doubts, which help in making positive modification in strategy.

"All sceptics need not be dismissed as `doubting Thomases' and not every person who welcomes new ideas with enthusiasm is really going to carry them out. The team leader who remembers this will have realistic expectations and fewer disappointments," says management consultant and trainer K. Panduranga.

A meeting can be and ought to be an occasion for necessary interventions to smoothen out teamwork. There are always bound to be complaints about uneven workloads and unrealistic deadlines. At such times, the team leaders can achieve goals better by consulting the team as a whole and even calling for a vote by raising of hands. If one week is too short for a major project to be pushed through and the majority of the team feel 10 days are called for, the team leader should give in and agree. The results may be worth the waiting.

The overenthusiastic team member, the type always bursting with ideas, not all of them feasible, should not be right away discouraged, he feels. It may be worthwhile discussing the idea, pointing out what is practical and what is not and then reach a consensus. No team member should feel let down or feel that his or her ideas are ignored. The team leader should make careful note of all suggestions and all opinions for future reference.

"There are some born sceptics and others become so because of bad experiences in the past when they have seen the best of plans going wrong. They need to be patiently told that with enough fail-safe mechanisms, some new ideas may be worth experimenting with. Success in business cannot be achieved without taking some risks and the willingness to try new approaches," says Mr. Panduranga.

After a consensus has been reached and a specific strategy decided upon, the leader should be prepared for the possibility of things still going wrong. If that happens, there should be no mud-slinging and mutual recriminations. The leader should accept the blame rather than blaming others. It was, after all, his decision, even if based on consensus. The leader ready to accept the blame will carry more respect among the team members.

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